Red Sox Interested In Haren; Wells Not In Play

10:15am: Dipoto could try to send Vernon Wells to the Red Sox along with Haren, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times suggests (Twitter link). Perhaps the Angels would obtain John Lackey in an exchange of bad contracts.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Wells is in play for others (Twitterlinks). The Angels are actively trying to trade Wells, who has a full no-trade clause and $42MM remaining on his contract through 2014.

Haren's contract includes a $15.5MM option with a $3.5MM buyout. The Angels are expected to decline the option if they don’t complete a trade first. Yesterday GM Jerry Dipoto sent Ervin Santana to Kansas City for minor league left-hander Brandon Sisk in a move that could be a precursor to a trade involving Haren.

The 32-year-old started 30 games for the Angels this past season. He posted a 4.33 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 176 2/3 innings, numbers that fall short of his career norms.

Indeed. I expect much more from Lackey this year. With Farrell on board, he will make sure his pitchers are performing. Here’s my two cents on Lackey. I think he was pitching his first two years in Boston with a partially torn UCL and didn’t mention it because he figured it was normal to have the pain. That could explain the loss of velocity he had and the fact that he was using more fastballs, and less breaking stuff. It’s known that the breaking pitches put more stress on the elbow. These are all reasons to believe Lackey will bounce back and have a strong year.

I think Haren would be a good move for them, although I hope they don’t. at $12M Haren isn’t that expensive on a 1 year deal. He had a down year, but he still was a pretty good backend starter, if he returns to form they will get a great #2.

That is true but they should avoid taking on Wells at all costs. Lackey gets a lot of quality starts when he is healthy, Wells is pretty much useless. Haren would be nice but Haren + Wells = no thanks. If that is the only possible scenario then they should just risk waiting until he hits free agency.

Yeah so the Lacky contract really isnt all that bad considering the bargain they will get in the final year. Thankfully the Sox just stated they are not interested in Wells. Hopefully they can still work something out for Haren because he would be a nice addition.

They shouldn’t decline it anyway. I have no idea where the writer gets the idea they will. Haren will be needed if the Angels don’t sign Greinke, and possibly even if they do. They only have Weaver, Wilson, and a bunch of wannabes if they don’t sign Greinke and trade Haren,

Haren already stated he wants to stay on the West Coast, where he was born, raised, lives and has a family. If he reaches free agency, the Red Sox would have very little chance at picking him up. So if they want him, they’re going to have to trade for him.

Let me be clear here, i’m a Rays fan. But this would be a smart move by the Red Sox to do.

Let’s be realistic here. Red Sox have a chance to compete but most likely, are going to hover around the .500 mark more than anything until their Prospects reach the majors. If they trade for Dan Haren, there’s no real loss here. Either they get a pitcher who regains his form on a 1 year contract, or they get a pitcher who’s past his prime on a 1 year deal.

He’s a risk willing to take, as long as the price isn’t high. And if i’m the Angels and really wanna resign Grienke, i’m taking whatever the Bo Sox give me

you’re entirely on point but failed to mention that with their recent contract/player purge they can afford to overpay in the short term for a player like Haren on a 1-yr. deal; although I would prefer Kuroda.

And the Angels would be stuck with Lackey…. and probably have to pay $10 million or more for the privilege. I don’t like that idea from the Angels perspective, at least Wells can contribute. You can’t say that about Lackey.

Wells is owed nearly $50M over the next two years, and is barely better than replacement level at this point. Lackey is owed $30M over the next two years and comes with an option for a third year at league minimum, and the last time he was healthy he was a 4.0 WAR player. Even in 2011 when Lackey pitched injured and missed part of the season he was at least as valuable as Wells was in 5 out of the last 6 years.

Here is my Sox needs to compete list. #1 Lester to regain form (As good a chance as any now that Farrell is back to help with his mechanics). #2 Ellsbury avoiding a freak accident. #3 Re-signing Ortiz. #4 Signing Haren. #5 Re-signing Ross or obtaining the offense equal or more than he can provide. #6 Overall team health. Way I see it if we get Haren at worst we will have a very solid top three who could take some steps forward. The bullpen will be strong, having MIller, Tazawa, Bailey, Melancon, Wilson, Aceves, Breslow, Atch, Carpenter, Mortensen, Bard (Solid bet to return to form) ect as options. And most importantly of all if we can keep the current offensive core together the only real loss to account for will be A-Gon, seeing as CC hardly ever played. So realistically a good season from ells signing ortiz and Ross (or someone like him) and adding another solid bat would put us on good footing if we can work those angles. But who knows all I am saying is I won’t be surprised if we compete.

For what it’s worth, the Royals gave up nothing for Santana, just took on his contract basically. I assume Haren will need a player or two back, but we’re just talking extra 40-man pieces I think, which the Sox have an abundance of anyway. Here have Beato and Kyle Stroup.

Doubtful. We only get on people who have high expectations and then stink it up. Wells expectations are about mediocre at best so if he hits 250 and 20 HR i think he will be left alone…..not that I want him.

I don’t know about that. Cody Ross is almost certainly gone, Kalish has been all right, but not spectacular, and Ellsbury is so chronically injured that it might be worth it to have someone like Wells, who can play all three OF positions and hit for decent power.

ross, ellsbury, kalish, nava, and propspects coming up in the next year or 2. i guess its not set and i wouldnt be against the sox picking up a justin upton of course but they aren’t desperate for OF help i guess i should have said.

Ross isn’t necessarily coming back, Ellsbury is on his last year, Kalish could be a decent player if he could ever stay healthy, and Nava shouldn’t be starting at any position for a team who want to win many games. The OF prospects (Bradley, who is expected to replace Ellsbury in CF, and Brentz, who needs to work on pitch selection and plate discipline to project as even an average regular in RF) aren’t ready yet, so there are still – as of right now – two holes to fill in the OF.

I want to see what Lackey can do anyway in Boston finally healthy. Not pay Anaheim one dime, nor take Haren in any deal.

Let them not pick up his option. Odds are Lackey will at least be a back end SP for 3 years. Forget paying Anaheim anything and Wells? One of the worst contracts around if he even was being considered.

I wouldn’t mind adding Haren on a one year deal (his option year) on the off chance that he bounces back (plus he could net the Sox a comp pick when he leaves after next year), but I don’t want it to be in that deal.

Am *really* looking forward to seeing what Lackey can do healthy and pain free. Few people in the game as competitive as he is and think he will be looking to set things right per see. It might take him a bit into the season to get things rolling, but can see him helping out and with Lackey healthy? They have Him, Bucholz, Lester, Doubrant as a league average 4 SP at the least. I don’t think they really need to go out and experiment on pitchers who are/were last year no better than the 4 main guys that they have., unless it is some people they bring in on inexpensive contracts in ST with non guaranteed deals.

Like we have talked about before.. Solid SP, like Sanchez? Sure, that is different, but this 2nd, maybe 3rd tier guys? no way for what the cost is, or giving away Lackey when he is finally healthy.

They can use Morales ST, DeLaRosa, several other options if lackey isn’t quite ready. Just want them to think about going after struggling 2012 SP who carry monstrous price tags.

The Angels need Money to spend on Greinke but they have it already wether Haren is back or not an they need Haren or another SP as well. Haren will bring back a solid if not good return in a trade.

From the Sox Side of things it makes sense to make a trade at the the right cost for us He could get traded, He could become a FA an decide he doesn’t want to sign with us so thats why you trade for him instead of seeing what happens. He could have a great year for us an be a top of the rotation guy an if we arnt playing well he could make great trade bait an bring back a good prospect or two. I love Haren an always wanted to see him in Boston love to have him at the right price. Id give up Pimental an Hazelbaker that something I could live with but think it would cost more. I aint overpaying for him not when you can get guys who have good upside (risk also) on reasonable short term deals like Marcum, McCarthy, Kuroda, Liriano, Depmster, Baker possibly Haren. Some of them will probally get multi year deals Id be most surprised if Marcum didnt an theres Anibal Sanchez, Edwin Jackson an Kyle Loshe who are primed for multi year deals at or above market value those three I would stay away from unless I can get them on a one or two year deal.

We want to compete, stay young an not give up much of the farm an not overpay for players in FA an in trades. There are no true aces availible on the trade market an Greinke will cost to much, is a bad fit an is a borderline ace. So go with good depth an guys who can pitch like top of the rotation guys next year like McCarthy an Haren. Lester Bucholz Haren McCarthy Doubront Lacky De La Rosa an Franklin Morales would be the rotation an depth. Then sign Melky, Resign Ortiz an Ross trade for a big bat or two an keep on the path.

I would be amazed, shocked and ashamed to see John Lackey in an Angels uniform again. Wells can still hit the ball out of the park so he has value in some line-ups if the Angels eat most of his contract I could see a team taking him. Who would we be getting for Haren though? I understand the Santana deal, we were going to pay him a million to walk away anyway so lets get a reliever for him but Haren is still a solid #2-ish starter on the majority of major league staffs out there. Any rumblings on who Boston has involved?

I can live with Wells in the deal if they take Lackey as it states AND LA pays some of his deal which is just ridiculous. I’m not saying go and pay half but kick in maybe half of next years salary so it can be closer to a wash in terms of money.

If the Angels eat around $25mm of the $57.2mm owed to Haren and Wells, and the Sox deal Lackey, the Sox would essentially be getting Wells on a 2 year/$2mm deal, since Lackey is owed $30mm over the next 2 (30.3mm to be exact). He’d be a good backup OF for $2mm. Just depends on how bad the Angels want to get rid of him, and how much they’d eat.

I dont act like they are but reports so far have only really linked Haren to the Sox. The deadline is approaching so the Angels will have to make a move either pick up the option or pull the plug and trade him.

As a Sox fan, I’m all for this, but not for 15MM. Is there anyway we can negotiate a restructured contract as a part of the deal? I’d rather take a chance on him as a FA than trade for him in that case.

1 year at 15 million is not bad at all for a team with current commited payroll around 45 million after years of having it at 160+. harens gunna want 1 year to show he can still pitch to get a long term next offseason. might as well him try his best in contract year as part of the red sox since the owners have money to spend.

1 year isnt throwing away money. say he doesnt work he comes off the books next year. do you know how much money the owners make off the red sox? A LOT. and you are telling me they cant pay for a 1 year deal at 15 million when current payroll is 1/4 of what has been. i wouldnt give haren a 5 year deal aka beckeett or lackey and i wouldnt give melky cabrera a 7 year deal aka crawford. but each guy on a 1 year deal isnt bad. (Dont realy want cabrera but he is the closest comparison to crawford in the next year that could come on a 1 year deal)

why would you trade for haren when the angels are more then likely going to not pick his option up and he will be a FA anyway. so wouldnt it be smart to just sign him to a 1 yr deal to see how he performs then sign him to a longer deal after the season??? and i doubt the angels take on lackey if the redsox wont take Wells along with it.

I think some teams just think it would be easier to trade a marginal prospect for him and pick up the option (and have his 2014 option on the books as well) rather than have to compete with every other team in FA just in order to save a few million. I just hope the Red Sox aren’t one of those teams..

How have we been improving our pitching which was our most glaring weakness? All I am seeing is our Starting staff becoming weaker in the last trade and this proposed trade. There is no SP in the free agent market that are better then Santana and Haren. Yes, we need to find a way to part with Wells to clear up that log jam and I believe that improves our offense with some stability and opens up the gate to keep Hunter.

I think Lackey is gonna bounce back to being a solid dependable pitcher this year so the idea of adding Haren to Lester and Buc is exciting. Hopefully Farrell can work his magic with Lester once again, and hopefully he doesn’t tweak Buc too much as I think he really figured it out this past season. Get it done Ben.